


Five Events Changed When Hal Saw Barry Once

by Merfilly



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-15
Updated: 2007-01-15
Packaged: 2017-10-29 05:58:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/316549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry appears once to Hal, at Coast City, and lives change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Events Changed When Hal Saw Barry Once

"Don't." Red, hint of yellow, buzzing all around, never still a moment.

"But…" Anger, grief, raw and boiling.

"Trust me. It won't work. You'll go insane, there is no good here." Standing still one second, all red with lightning, the eyes of a leader, a conscience.

"I need to…all this power…and they won't let me…" Hard voice of split second judgments laid on hurt too thick to ignore.

"Can't stay longer…Hal, don't let me down…." Red flicker away, crashing thunder following the Speed Force's departure.

Hard, deep sigh, head hung in pain and defeat.

"I won't, Barry. I promise you."

`~`~`~`~`

He's cold, wet, miserable…and can't feel it, his heart on the ground, ripped to shreds by the woman he still loves.

He does fell the firm slap to the back of his head, all energy and green and familiar.

"Go after her…don't let it end…you know you love her, she said she loved you…stop this."

"I'm not man enough…"

"No, Oliver...you've been forgetting she's your equal." The green energy lays a path through the snow, following the woman crying as she walks away. One look exchanged, and the jilted man runs after his soulmate, unwilling to let it all end.

`~`~`~`~`

It's a roaring green fire they gather around, the small family of Seattle. The pilot watches his friends, watches as the small girl runs to her new uncle, beaming at him as she proudly displays her Asian heritage in a smattering of phrases, welcoming him to the family. He responds to her in his heritage language, bonding with the daughter of his red-haired 'brother' while their 'parents' and one other friend look on.

The sky jockey is almost loathe to leave, but there is an eco-terrorist to be dealt with and Superman's not quite close enough to Metropolis just yet.

`~`~`~`~`

This time, when he calls on them, he does not let them have a choice. For better or worse, many of the stronger events ripple out from the Earth. They cannot let it be extinguished. The Corps is marshaled as a whole, joined by other beings of energy and power, and the not-quite-here-or-there creature is halted, as the Earth sits in long winter shadow, wondering if they will succeed.

The test pilot who guides the link pushes it all, lets the energy ripple through him, and the sun begins to shine. His fellow Lanterns pay honor, guiding him back home.

`~`~`~`~`

The Spectre feels the thirst for vengeance rise, but knows the tempering of compassion. He does all he can, luring the guilty into the light, helping keep the sins they had buried from making everything go wrong again. A small usage of the powers he had inherited, by turning away from long ago thoughts of revenge, and world shattering Towers nor history-changing escapes from lost pocket dimensions ever come to pass.

Hal Jordan hoped Barry was still proud. Through it all, the glimpse of a scarlet streak out of the side of his eye was all the reminder he needed.


End file.
